The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-02-02
ENGLAND WAS LARGELY MOULDED BY
THE NoRh1ANS.
Speech OF e. l.. Reid, of Sardis, n. c

This question as to who our ancestors were
and as to whose influence has moulded Us
into the people we are, Is one OF Interest and
importance, we truat, to our audience, ana
soon IL Is to be decided, Mt least for tonighti
whether we have been made the people we
are to day from Saxon or Norman influence
since we are SO closely connected with inc
English nation. We here mention the iact
suffered at the hands of their Norman con-
onerers and from the pride that we feel thai
Saxon blood flows in our veins, popular opin-
ion isagalnst the NormanS. and popular SYM
pathies are strongly awakened In favor OF
our Anglo Saxon ancestors But we ask the
audience and judges TO go with us with
out their prejudice, since they can ad-
NIT that England was moulded largely from
Norman influence without admitting any
thin. to the dlscredit Of AnglO-SaNons.
Before entering fully INTO the discussion 1t
should he noticed that the question does not
mean which race had the greater influence on
England at any particular time or in any par
ticular respect, but which has eXerted the
wider Influence since the conquest In every
particular.
the civilization Of the Englishman at the
time of the Norman conquest was far from
being Anglo.SaXon entirely. This Island
had been conquered three times prior 10 tnc
Norman invasion, and each conquest indeli-
bly, stamped the civilization Of the conquer
er on the future nation. Without waiting to
notice the Roman conquest we come 10 the
Saxon In the fifth and sixth centuries The
Saxons at this time were even more barbar-
GUS than the old Brtains then inhabiting the
island, and by numbers and sheer brute
strength the Saxons became masters of the
country, the former inhabitants being killed
or destroyed almost entirely, but still a. good
ly number OF them were driven to the West
ern part Of the island, now called Wales,
where they found refuge from their cruel In
yaders and from whence they slowly inter.
mingled with their Saxon conqucrers and
slowly, but surely, infused into them their CIV
ilizatl0n. But the most Important influence
brought 10 bear on the civilization of the old
SaXons was that OF the Danes. These began
TO make their inr0ads into the country In the
eighth century and continued 1t with little
intermission for nearly three hundred years.
Twice they completely subjugnted 1t and gov
and his successors. Being virtually the same
race and speaking nearly the same language
they easily intermingled with their Saxon
subjects, and they too soon became one Peo-
pie and had one civilization which both races
went largely to make up We know thnt
most English writer's are unwilling to admit
that the SaXons imbihed anything from their
Danish conquerers. DeQnlnry speaks of the
strong prejudice Of English on this point.
But whether they admit IL or not fact re-
mains. 1t is incOnceivabie how IT. could he
otherwise. Let any two races be brought
into close contact rs were the Saxons and
Danes for three centuries and they will ne
cessarily imbibe the characteristic of each
other's civilization. Welsh says, In speaking
OF the Danish INVASION. wv tleU we COnSlutT
that the in vaders were more than half the
invaded, 1t Is impossible but that they III
fused into them large part of their civiliza
| tion and language" He also says that their
influence was much more on the SaXons
than Is generally ceded by writer's.
One special influence of the Danes on Eng
| land was TO make her seafarlng nation,
which has gone far to make her the mighty
| nation she Is to day.
| We wish the judges to notice the fact above
mentioned rs the affirmative may claim, that
this was Saxon influence since the Danes
were nssimiated with the Saxons before the
Norman conquest. But In arguing this ques.
| ton we are not to consider England as entire
| ly Saxon at the time Of the conquest. We
claim that what little civilization was In the
country was due largely TO the Danes and
other foreigners of whom Hume states, Il
gOodty number were induced TO settle in the
Island In the tenth century by the reputation
| of Edgar. Thus we sec, the people them
selves were largely Of other races, ana Harold,
the greatest Saxon king after Alfred, was n
| considered we find that a large amount OF
| the influence on England attributed to the
SayOns must be conceded TO other races. Let
us now look at these two races before the con-
quest. Here Hallam remarks: "Fhe SaHons
| brought with them from their original forest
nj least AS much rOughneSS us any of the NIL
tions that overturned the Roman Empire
| He SAYS that no people were ever. SO given to
robbery, to trays, and riots. On thisEolnt
Hume says: "With regard to the manners OF
the Anglo-Saxons we can say little but that
they were rude uncnltivated people, ignor..
ant OF letters, unskilled in the mechanical
arts, untraine ed to submission under law and
government; addicted to intemperance, riot
and disorder"
From this we see that the Saxons were a
rough, bnrbarous tribe, with very little civil.
zation, and with all the arts In the very rud,
| est state. On the other hand the NormGn-